Is Jamaal Charles a Hall of Fame running back?
By Nick Floyd
Will Jamaal Charles, the NFL’s leader in yards per carry, one day be enshrined in the Hall of Fame?
The NFL is first and foremost a business, and sometimes tough decisions have to be made. That is exactly what the Kansas City Chiefs did on Tuesday. In a move that came as a bit of a shock — followed by a realization it was a good move — the Chiefs released running back Jamaal Charles.
Charles, who had only played eight games in the past two seasons, was plagued with injuries that kept him sidelined during that time. Combine the injuries with the fact that he is now 30-years-old, an age where the production declines for running backs, the team did the unthinkable and parted ways. While it was sad to see him go, it made sense for the team with the lack of cap space and the need to sign key players.
Jamaal Charles will always be remembered as a player who could take it to the house any given play. His speed and elusiveness for a back of his size, at 5’11” and 199 pounds, was impressive to watch on the field. What’s more impressive about number 25 is his yards per carry, which at 5.49 yards, is the best in the history of the NFL.
Jamaal throughout his 9 years with the Chiefs has accumulated 7,260 yards on the ground, 43 touchdowns, with 21 fumbles. Through the air he gained 2,457 yards scoring 20 times while receiving the ball 285 times. All these stats are impressive but it brings us right back to the point of all this, is this a hall of fame career?